Till Death Do Us Part
by Arleen Quinn
Summary: Robin, Red X and Starfire are forced to work for Amanda Waller (Checkmate). Is Robin going crazy? is Slade involved somehow? Start reading and find out! Rated T, Love Triangle.
1. Restrained

**(Author Notes: Hey guys! I've rewritten parts of the first few chapters to better fit the story and flow more easily. If you're here to read the latest chapter, you don't have to worry about re-reading the first few chapters again as they haven't changed in story line.)**

**Chapter 1 "Restrained"**

Lights began to flicker on inside a pitch-black room.

Robin's POV

_Where am I? Why can't I move?_

The bright light forces a wince as my eyes adjust to the brightness.

As my vision comes back to me, I see my arms and legs are securely restrained in a steel chair and my utility belt has been confiscated.

_What is this place? _His thoughts rush back to him in a flurry of questions that needed immediate answers.

End POV.

"Ugh, and here I thought I was having a bad dream." A familiar figure behind a mask groaned as he began to fully regain consciousness.

"Red X" Robin spat.

The last set of lights beamed onto a third chair, revealing a feminine figure still unconscious and lying limp in her chair.

STARFIRE! Robin pulled himself toward her, as if he had forgotten about his restraints.

The masked figure whistled as he saw the young woman. "Maybe this _is_ a dream after all."

Robin glared at the masked man revealed to be Red X. With a scowl, the Boy Wonder hissed "Don't you even think about it."

"Aw, are you two exclusive or something?" He smirked.

"Robin..." Starfire softly spoke; her eyelids still heavy from whatever knocked her out.

"Are you okay, Star?" Robin furrowed his brow in concern. How could he let this happen? Why couldn't they have taken him and had left Starfire alone.

"I am undamaged" Starfire assured him with her soft smile.

Robin attempted a vague smile to hide his disappointment in himself. Robin clenched his fists; He had let her down and she could tell that he was beating himself up over it.

"It will be okay, Robin. We are stronger together" Starfire assured him.

_"I'm weaker when we're together, Star" he thought to himself._

Red X cleared his throat in order to get their attention

"If you two lovebirds don't mind, I'm gonna go before I throw up. Nice to see you though, cutie." Red X gestured a wink.

Though Red X had no idea how to escape a room with seemingly no doors or windows; It also became apparent to him that his gadgets were confiscated.

As if ignoring the unwanted gesture, Starfire added, "We need to escape this facility"

"Don't be too hasty, child" A woman's voice echoed through several speakers within the room.

"Let us go now please," An innocent Starfire answered.

"Why are we here? Why us!" Robin demanded answers.

"As you all are awake now, it's time for an introduction. Welcome, My name is Amanda Waller. You have been chosen by Checkmate, an Organisation which goals are achieved no matter the cost. You all possess the required skills to complete various high-risk missions with a minimal survival rate. You are also expendable. Do not get any ideas of escape, as it will be futile.

As an incentive, each of you has had an explosive device surgically implanted into your spine. If any of you decide to attempt an escape, or try to remove your implant, you all will be punished accordingly.

I don't give second chances.

As you all are already acquainted, introduction is over. Welcome to the Suicide Squad."

Static echoed through the speakers as communication ceased.


	2. Trigger-happy

A motioning sound emitted from a wall in the room, revealing a concealed entryway.

The sound of clacking heels against steel grated floors grew nearer. A heavyset woman entered the room containing the three captives.

"Amanda Waller I presume" Robin bitterly speculated.

"Correct, I am she." The clacking of heels ceased as the woman hovered over him.

"Robin!" Starfire instinctively broke away from her steel restraints and ran toward her teammate before stopping abruptly in her tracks and yelping in distress.

Red X loured, "Don't hurt her!" He snapped, raising his attention over to Waller who appeared to be carrying a hand-held device.

Starfire fell to her knees, her body giving in to severe agony.

"STARFIRE!" Robin yelled out.

Amanda Waller eyed the Tamaranean girl; She seemed entertained by the control she had over the alien.

"Control your teammate or she will suffer." A monotone voiced Waller explained to the Boy Wonder.

Robin gritted his teeth and felt his chest tighten, as all he could feel was a vicious anger jerking his self-restraint out the window. This woman had tortured the only thing that gave him happiness.

Waller will pay for this. Robin clenched his jaw while he pulled away from the sight of Starfire weeping in agony to face an unpleasant and cruel woman staring down at him.

"I will keep her under control. Just stop hurting her." Robin kept eye contact with Waller until she turned off the device, rendering Starfire free.

Robin scowled. He knew by the smug, distasteful smile on Waller's face that she knew she had gotten under his skin.

Was it that obvious? Did every criminal know his one weakness was a woman with sun-kissed skin and flaming crimson hair, and eyes that put emeralds to shame?

He vowed to never live a normal life; he couldn't, he had to save his city from criminals like Slade, and organisations with a sinister agenda like Checkmate.

"Release their restraints. Play time's over." Amanda Waller turned her back on the captives and walked toward the exit.

"Ahem, this chair must be faulty" Red X struggled to get free, with no success.

Ignoring the masked teen Waller continued, "You'll hear from me when you've been taken to the Armoury."

Starfire let out a pained, heated roar as she stood herself up; her eyes flashing bright green and about to blaze star bolts from her eyes.

The Tamaranean warrior princess let out her fury, star bolts beamed across the room, directed at Waller.

Waller was more agile than she looked, dodging each explosive beam except for one; which had tore through the shoulder piece of her perfectly neat blue business attire.

"Star, No!" Robin jolted his body out of the chair and towards the chaos

As much as he wanted to help her win the fight, he knew that the risk of going against Waller would get her killed.

Time slowed and heartbeats felt as if they became audible in the coming moments.

Robin sprinted toward Starfire as Amanda Waller pulled out a concealed weapon; Newly modelled Government Issued handgun.

Bolts of pure green energy filled Starfire's eyes, clouding her vision momentarily.

A trigger-happy Amanda Waller pulls the trigger.

A loud noise echoed throughout the room leaving a ringing aftershock of sound.

Time rushed back into speed as the hot casing of a bullet touched the ground.

Starfire's energy-filled eyes faded; the whites of her eyes consumed the glow of bright green and vision became clearer.

"Robin…?"

* * *

**Notes: Please review; I need them like I need my morning coffee. Extra sweet! but mildly bitter...**


	3. Burning embers

Chapter 3 "Burning embers"

Robin gave a pained look as he hunched forward while he stood in front of Starfire.

The bullet fired from Waller's handgun pierced through Robin's chest; his stance staggered and stiffened.

"Play time is over." Waller glanced at the weeping-eyed alien with no remorse as she holstered her gun and exited the room; the door slid securely shut behind her, leaving a stunned Red X and despairing Starfire.

As Robin began to collapse to one side Starfire wrapped her arms around him as they both gently fell to the floor.

"S-Starfire…" Robin tried to mask his pain while stuttering her name.

"Robin…" Starfire was absent for words whilst she wept. "This was my doing. I did not listen! Please do not leave me, Robin".

Robin stroked her silky crimson hair behind her ear. He always wanted to do that, even just once.

"Get me out of these restraints Starfire" Red X implored her. "I can help him Star, please."

Without hesitation Starfire's eyes blazed an incandescent green as she shot off his restraints. With an almost detached tone Starfire quavered, "Help him."

Red X rubbed his wrists as the steel cuffs came off. "I need you to get the bullet out Starfire. You have slender fingers." He motioned to Robin's wound, as he tore off his sleeve, ready to place it over the wound.

Starfire hesitated briefly as she saw Robin's wound discharge blood at a rapid rate. She toughened up and stuck her fingers into the wound.

"Tell me if the bullet is still intact." Red X watched over her as she inserted her fingers into Robin's perforated chest wound.

As Starfire's fingertips grazed the bullet, she replied, "It is still intact"

"Good. Now take it out." Red X watched Starfire grimace as she removed the bullet.

Before blood began to gush out of the wound Red X quickly plugged up the wound with a piece of his torn suit.

"This will hold for now, but he needs proper medical supplies. Otherwise he'll bleed out."

A static noise emitted from several speakers as a voice spoke in a congratulatory tone.

"Well done. You can work as a team. Good. - Take him to the medical bay, and escort the others to the armory. Waller out." Communication promptly ceased.

Waller turned around, facing a mysterious figure. "Trial analysis complete. You know these inmates well."

Dim light masked the shadowy figure as he replied, "I know dear Robin more than he knows himself." The discrete man's voice had a unique and familiar tone of deep, rasped monotone cynicism.

"He'll live, cutie. But we have to be smart about this. This Waller character is no joke."

Red X had a point. Starfire nodded in agreement while she put pressure on Robin's wound, impatiently awaiting assistance.

"It is like she knew this would happen." Starfire agreed that these people were not 'the joke'.

Robin's vision blurred in and out. He wanted to be strong; he was always a strong leader in front of his teammates, in front of Starfire. But Starfire was seeing a man who was shot and is now bleeding out.

With every ounce of willpower and strength in his body, he attempted to sit himself up, but was immediately pushed down by the masked copycat.

"Whoa there, buddy. Take it easy" Red X said as he held the birdbrain down.

"Do not drain your energy, Robin" Starfire touched his hand as she smiled out of loving concern for his wellbeing.

Robin's eyelids grew heavy and vision began to fade. He mustered up a last effort to speak the words "Slade."


	4. Rude awakening

Robin awoke in a panic; sweat dripped down his face and upper body as if he had awoken from a nightmare.

He grimaced as he hastily sat himself up in bed. His wound had been neatly stitched and covered with dressings, undoubtedly done by a professional.

Robin had noticed that he was alone in the medical bay. A faulty light flickered in the corner, nevertheless radiating its incandescent light.

Robin grazed his fingernails over the back of his neck. His eyes widened as he felt tightly sewed stitches where his spine began. "They weren't kidding" he spoke to himself in a depressed tone.

"Talking to oneself is a sign of insanity, Robin." A recognizable voice replied.

Robin clenched his fist and reacted irately to the familiar voice. "Slade." Robin glowered.

"Imagining things that aren't there is also a cause for concern." The voice retorted.

Robin darted his eyes around the room; it appeared he was talking to thin air.

"Show yourself!" Robin demanded. "What did you do to me? Drug me!"

"It's only a dream, Robin. Time to wake up." The voice faded in a blurred echo, leaving Robin light-headed and within moments rendering him unconscious.

Starfire and Red X were hastily taken to the armory to be prepared for their first assignment. As the heavily armed guards escorted them to the armory one guard barked, "Wait in this room for further instruction. Any funny business and I have orders to take you out."

Red X retorted to the armed guard, "Does that mean me and the cutie can't make out?". The guard eyed the Alien girl, "you'd touch that alien freak?" the guard spat.

Red X's expression turned into a scowl as the man spoke. "You talk like that to her again and I'll make you regret it".

The guard laughed obnoxiously at the masked teen. Starfire then reached her hand out and softly grabbed Red X's hand "We have more important things to accomplish" Her tone was soft as usual, but he could tell that the guards comment left a sour taste in both of their mouths.

As they entered the armory, screens on the wall switched on. "Waller here. The mission at hand is of top priority. "

"The Russian crime syndicate has acquired rare intelligence that Checkmate needs to have its hands on. Even with Checkmate as their allies in assisting with mutual enemies, they refuse to share or sell this information to us. Possibly for certain mishaps in the past."

"'Mishaps'? I'm gonna go with plots to take down the Russian embassy." Red X interjected.

"You're quite the firecracker, 'Red X'. Or should I say a ticking time bomb." Waller grinned, as she knew she had him under her thumb.

"You will be given the identities of foreign traders sent from a shell corporation. I want you to get inside and deal with the Russians as if you are interested in buying their Intel.

They seem to put out Intel on the market that's worth millions of dollars. But they are very selective as to whom they sell it to.

My undercover operatives only hear whispers about it and they've been in the Syndicate for a decade working deep undercover."

Waller would scoff. "Russians. The most paranoid of the bunch!"

"If you expect me to kill, I am incapable of doing so." Starfire stared at the screen precisely within the woman's eye line. The same woman who had made her and Robin _suffer._

Waller tasted disdain as she heard this. "If you can't kill, then what use are you to me, Alien? I might as well have you dissected in the lab."

Starfire clenched her fists at such a remark. "How dare you speak to me-" … Her words were quickly cut off by the masked teen.

Red X spoke in an embittered tone, "She is of use to you. I have fought with her many times. She's a warrior. She can fight, Waller. And I can kill."

Starfire was surprised by his words. He had defended her once again and had helped save Robin. Was he really such a bad person?

The woman behind the screen seemingly paused momentarily, as if contemplating the current situation.

"Just get it done. Or it will be all of your heads on the chopping block. You have 48 hours to acquire the Intel. If you aren't at the drop zone by the deadline, you will be terminated and deemed terrorists by the state.

Unfortunately due to your teammate being shot, he will have to sit out on this mission. "

Red X could see the pained look on Starfire's face. He wanted to comfort her, but now wasn't the time to look soft, especially with two armed guards pointing heavy military grade weaponry against both their backs.

Would she even want to be comforted by him? He wondered.

-End of Chapter 4. Next chapter coming soon! Please review, thank you.


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